The home is in pretty good shape, because we just had Yule, but there are still things to do. I love the Organized Homes Christmas planning, and I'm following it. Now, they have deleted it, and it only exists on the Internet Archive, so I am on my way of reposting it here so that I have it handy. I need to concise the 18 weeks into four, which is not a problem - as said, most of the work is already done. * I want to redo the balcony and replace the Yule-y things with Imbolc-y things. * I need to plan the menu for Imbolc dinner. I want a full-course dinner, cubed :-D (21 or so courses ;-)) (Ri ..read more

 It's quarter to five on Christmas Eve afternoon, and I'm miserable. I don't know what is missing, but this isn't Yule. It has been snowing and the weather is wonderful. It's cold and white and glistening and so wintery and Christmassy as one could wish. I'm spending my Yule with my husband in a decorated and clean home, and he's making us the traditional Christmas dinner from his tradition. He's Danish. I feel so bad. I feel depressed. Where are you, Christmas? Christmas is supposed to be fun, happy, exciting and cosy time of being together with loved ones, relaxing, and enjoying thing ..read more

 I was watching a YouTube channel I like, and their preparations and celebration of the American Thanksgiving. And I am... judgmental. I know, I know, it's none of my business, done is better than perfect, everyone does their thing their way, not my way, and that's a good thing, and F me, that's why. I know, it's not good. I'm not pretending I have any right to be judgmental. I just am. So I am going to use this to talk about how I want my holidays as different from theirs, and I am not going to talk about theirs.  Firstly, I want the home to be decorated. Thoroughly. Every room, e ..read more

 So... I'm participating in this... blog event? Whatever it is. We are given some ideas every day for 12 days. And I'm not too impressed... Yes, I'm a grumpy badger and I am going to be totally honest about it. No one reads my blog anyway. So - I have a playlist for Yule songs. I have some 200 songs there, so it should take a whole day to listen to them. I don't need any suggestions on Christmas songs. (BTW, my mother was a Christian, and I grew up in a culturally Christian home, so I find the Christian Christmas songs nostalgic. It doesn't much matter, though, as Jesus was not born on M ..read more

23 Free (or Cheap) Family Christmas Traditions Author: Heather | Updated December 23, 2021 For some reason the link doesn't work for me. If it works for you, great, you don't need this page. If it doesn't - like for me - you do. Watching holiday movies might be one of your family’s favorite Christmas traditions. Other families might make fruitcake, and some may even hide pickles in their trees. Whatever your family Christmas tradition may be, one thing is certain: it brings you all closer together. But let’s get real, some holiday traditions are pricey!  1. Start a Christmas tradition ..read more

I live in an apartment in suburbs, in a high-rise. Our apartment is a 60 sq.m. apartment (About 650 sq.ft). There is a big living room, a hallway, a bathroom, a kitchen, a bedroom and a balcony. I am holiday crazy, so I want everything decorated from floor to ceiling. It helps to divide the area one needs to decorate into sections, go through everything on paper, and then decorate it in one go, as it's best to store all the decorations in types, rather than "kitchen decorations" - that makes it easier to store them, see new possibilities in decorations, switch up things a little, and mend and ..read more

Some years ago I created myself an "Autumn bucket list", to be done from 1st of August to 31st of October - or Lammas to Samhain. So, this year I am actually going to do it :-D Now, there is one specific thing (and I say "one", even though there are several points on "that thing") on that list, that will cause me some problems: "Have a teddy bears' picnic, October 27th (The International Teddy Bear Day)"   "Host or attend a fall festival with fun games, crafts, and prizes!" "Celebrate Lughnasadh August 2nd" Yes, it should be on the list, but isn't...  "Stay up late and watch the harve ..read more

Time passes, whether you are ready or not... Meara's Potion Another Lughnasadh I won't be celebrating... much. *sigh* I really hate the fact that I'm sick, and don't have the energy to do what needs to be done. I so want to decorate the house from floor to ceiling, from wall to wall, from door to balcony. I would love to brew and bake and cook and serve 8 days of celebration of harvest and grain and all the wonderful things that can be made of grain. (You do realize Seitan is the perfect "meat" for this feast? :-D). Bread IS life. Bread IS culture. Bread IS the base our civilization is bui ..read more

So you want to have a book club? Why? That is the first question you have to ask :-D There are many reasons to have a book club. You might want to meet new people who share your interests (reading). You might want to expand your reading. You might want to use the book club as a reason to keep up reading even when you don't feel like reading at the moment. All these reasons and the others set different expectations you have to think about and try to meet with your book club. Unique and totally awesome book club theme ideas  Your book club is only as great as its members. You can do e ..read more

There is a fascination in seeing numbers change, especially if there is something symmetrical and whole about the numbers. 20 years ago, the numbers changed from 1999 to 2000, now it's 2019 to 2020. It doesn't matter than in reality the date 1.1. is just randomly chosen, and there isn't really anything specific about it. Our spirits react to the beginning of a circle anyway. So, New Year's Eve is a magical space. I love counting to midnight. I love the silence and expectation rising, the explosion of fireworks and streamers and confetti and kisses and noise at the zero ..read more